Napa Valley Register

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On Monday, August 10, 1863, a weekly newspaper, the Napa Valley Register, appeared for the first time. Covering a community more known for its wheat crop than wine grapes, the early Register would be unrecognizable to modern readers. A forum for gossip, tall-tales, opinion, moral instruction, aphorisms, propaganda, entertainment and, sporadically, hard news, the Register was one of the top two newspapers of early Napa. The Register moved to daily publication in 1872 and George M. Francis became sole owner of the Register in 1878 upon the death of his business partner. Francis was succeeded in ownership by his son George H. Francis in 1932. The paper remained with Francis and various partners until 1958, when it was sold to Scripps League, a small family chain. Subsequently, the Register was bought by the Pulitzer newspaper group. In 2005, Pulitzer newspapers were folded into Lee Enterprises, a Davenport, Iowa newspaper group.